1. Countywide video security cameras - Surveillance Use Policy
Purpose: County departments conduct operations and provide services at numerous County facilities throughout the County of Santa Clara. The County monitors many of these facilities through the use of video security cameras that collect and record video footage of activity in and around County facilities. The purposes for the video security cameras shall be for public safety and the bidentification, assessment, investigation, and reporting of behavior or activity that legitimately appears to be in violation of Department or County rule, policy, or reasonable expectation; illegal; or in furtherance of illegal activity.
See the Full Policy
2. Other County video security camera use policies
The County of Santa Clara also has other Board approved policies for video security cameras. In each case, the technology itself is the same - cameras affixed to buildings that record video (and in some cases audio) to support overall building security. However, there are differences in use in the following ways:
- data retention - law enforcement building cameras may have different legal data retention rules
- access - in some cases, 3rd party service providers (e.g. substance abuse or mental health service providers) operate out of County owned or leased buildings. These organizations also need access to security video, so there are different policies.
- third-party data-sharing
- use - some departments use cameras for purposes beyond security (e.g. monitoring voting equipment, wildlife monitoring
